[NBLUG/talk] OpenOffice 1.1 ISO has arrived; time to gear up for the schools!

[Lincoln Peters]

>From: Bill Kendrick <nbs at sonic.net>
>Reply-To: talk at nblug.org
>To: talk at nblug.org
>Subject: Re: [NBLUG/talk] OpenOffice 1.1 ISO has arrived; time to gear up 
>for the schools!
>Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 12:22:16 -0700
>
>On Tue, Oct 07, 2003 at 11:55:41AM -0700, Lincoln Peters wrote:
><snip>
> > >Or god forbid the student graduates, and then 2 months later a new 
>version
> > >of Word is out.
> > >
> > >THE HORROR!
> >
> > Good point.  I'll try to remember to bring this up when I see them 
>again.
>
>Yeah, I guess my point, to be more serious, was to state that arguing for
>knowing a particular version of a particular product is a bad argument,
>seeing as those products change all the time as it is.
>
>Just as teaching "OpenOffice.org 1.1", as they are currently teaching
>"MS Office version XYZ" would be just as bad...  Teach the concepts, not
>the "click here, then click there, then click there."
>
>I swear, I spent TWO WEEKS in training for some log analysis product that
>Worldcom decided to drop tons of money on (and then sit on for a year
>before even starting to use it).
>
>The 'training' mostly consisted of 1., 2., 3. steps on what to click.
>In the end, we had NO IDEA how the damned thing worked!  If I had been
>asked to sit down and DO something with the product, I'd have been 
>completely
>lost.

Then I have a strong case both for teaching OpenOffice and for teaching the 
concepts (as opposed to "click here; now click here; no, click here!").

>
>*sigh*
>
>
> > First, I have to get them to install it.  There is a lot of beauracracy
> > involved there, but I just talked to the superintendent of the
> > Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District.  As was the case everywhere
> > else I went, she was quite interested in a free, open-source, 
>full-featured
> > office suite.  Now all I can do is wait for the CD's and flyers I left 
>to
> > trickle down to the level where something will happen (unless I can talk 
>to
> > some of my other educational contacts and bypass them entirely).
>
>This could be where something like Knoppix could be handy.
>Probably an extremely scale-down one.  No frills.  Try to ignore the
>fact that it's Linux...  Just make a live OpenOffice.org CD
>(that just happens to be sitting on a bootable Linux disc)

I haven't even made a case for Linux yet.  I told them that OpenOffice is 
free and open-source, but besides that it's free, all that matters to them 
(so far) is that it runs on Windows and MacOS X.

The case for Linux will come in time.  I think it would be best to break the 
Microsoft monopoly one piece at a time.

>
>
><snip>
> > Excellent work!
>
>Wish me luck!  I was walking through town yesterday and dropped off some
>Tux Paint tri-fold pamphlets to some elementary schools that I happened
>to pass.  The front-desk people seemed vaguely confused, a little 
>interested,
>and said they'd pass it on to the principal.
>
>I wonder if they'll ever look at it. :^)  (This is why I want to do actual
>LETTER WRITING to start...  Then maybe follow up with a phone-call,
>perhaps to organize a sit down meeting...?   Maybe my plans are too grand 
>:) )

That's essentially what I've been trying to do for OpenOffice, although I 
haven't written any letters.  However, I have made sure to leave a CD 
everywhere I've gone.

>
>
><snip>
> > Very good.  That would bring the cost down even more!
>
>Yes, always keep your eye out on people trying to get rid of their 2-3 year
>old hardware.  I think it's often cheaper/easier for them to find someone
>to take it off their hands, than try to dump/recycle...  (I'm just 
>guessing)

If it was cheap to dispose of computers, I don't think that CRC would charge 
so much for donations.  Although I can't say for sure, as it has been a long 
time since I've thrown away any sort of computer equipment (and my garage is 
starting to look like Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory).

>
>
><snip>
> > And, of course, if their customers have any problems with their Linux
> > machines that are not hardware-related, they could easily refer them to 
>the
> > nearest LUG.
>
>You do have to be careful here.  While there are lots of people out there
>like me, who want lots of people to use Linux, and who are happy to help,
>there still seems to be a large percentage of elitists who can't stand
>newbies, and get irritated when people post the wrong question, go berzerk
>when they send it as a non-wordwrapped HTML attachment, and generally
>scare away people who haven't yet made the leap yet. :^)
>
>I admit, I seriously hate HTML email and non-word-wrapped messages.
>I only blow my top, though, when people act like assholes on lists
>(sometimes newbies do this, but usually it's the more technical people),
>and when a newbie constantly posts "remove me from this list" messages
>to the list. :^)
>
>I try to be POLITE when newbies do faux pa things like HTML e-mail. :)

I've heard stories about people who are so elitist, but I have not yet met 
any (or at least not any who are openly so).  I think the closest thing I've 
heard to such an attitude was when, on the mailing list for an Intro to UNIX 
class, someone said "Quit your whining and cut the cord, man!"

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